Just Do Art!

[/media-credit] Will the Frank DeCaro and the rest of the Homo Comicus crew make the Yuletide gay? Damn straight!

HO-HO HOMO COMICUS | Finally, host Bob Montgomery and his “Homo Comicus” crew have the perfect excuse to string up some festive lights, don their gay apparel and troll for kisses under the mistletoe. That’s a pretty accurate description of what you’ll find all year long at Gotham Comedy Club’s long-running monthly comedic showcase of all things gay (and lesbian and trans and bi and queer and questioning). The December installment (called “Ho-Ho Homo Comicus”) features the good humor of Mr. Montgomery and three top gay comics: Judy Gold (from HBO and Off-Broadway solo shows), Frank DeCaro (host of his own SiriusXM show) and Erin Foley (from “Comedy Central Presents Erin Foley”). Yeah, you’ve heard them on the radio and seen them on TV…now enjoy them live, from spit-take distance!

ARC’s WINTER HOLIDAY RECORD & CD SALE | “We’re high and dry post-Sandy, but are taking in tons of material from others and all of this needs care, cleaning and cataloging,” says ARChive of Contemporary Music co-founder B. George.

With so many irreplaceable treasures swept away or damaged beyond repair by storm waters, the ARC mission seems more relevant — and urgent — than ever. This non-profit music library and research center collects, preserves and provides information on popular music of every permutation, from 1950 to the present. Since its humble founding in 1985, ARC’s archives have grown to over 2 million sound recordings (plus over three million books, magazines, videos, films, photographs, press kits, newspapers clippings, memorabilia and ephemera relating to the history of popular music).

What does this bone-dry bounty mean to you, the humble consumer? Funny you should ask. Coming up just in time to find the perfect gift for the old school music lovers on your “nice” list, ARC’s Winter Holiday Record & CD Sale functions as their major fundraiser of the year — and provides you with the chance to peruse their reasonable prices and highly eclectic selection of books, CDs, LPs, singles, VHS tapes, DVDs, sheet music and…more.

Join ARC as a member and you’ll score an invite to their December 6 party (which also serves as Jamie Records’ launch of the ARCTIC records reissue package and ARC’s launch of the Bill Adler Holiday Record Collection). Local classified startup Krrb.com hosts, with champagne courtesy of Tribeca’s Bubble Lounge and food by Two Boots Pizza and Brooklyn’s Bonnie’s Grill.

AS REAL AS IT GETS | “Tell me about yourself,” says Rob Walker, “and you might mention where you’re from…but I doubt you’ll mention brands or products.” So what does it matter if nothing in this Walker-curated exhibit actually exists? “All brands,” he asserts, “are imaginary.” Rather than simply mocking our love/hate relationship with material culture, “As Real As It Gets” uses the work of artists, designers, writers and musicians to illustrate how “fictional products can become a means of expressing joy, fear, humor, unease, ambivalence.”

After perusing this collection of never-was stuff, make the not-so-great leap from targeted consumer to product creator, courtesy of the “Imaginary Brands with MakerBot” 3D Design Tutorial (Sat., Dec. 8, 11am and 2:30pm).

[media-credit name=”Image courtesy of the artist and White Columns, New York ” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]JOE FYFE | In the past, acclaimed New York-based artist, writer and curator Fyfe has worked with combining more traditional methods of painting with textile collages. The latter were often sparked by his extensive travels to Asia and Europe. More recently, his paintings have become increasingly three-dimensional — or, as he put it, “off the stretcher.” By featuring paintings that incorporate found signs and commercial kites (as well as several free-standing sculptures), Fyfe is not easily categorized. This show is the first major public step in that direction.